1. The Present Invention
The present invention relates to a portable lighting device comprising a power supply housing; a lighting head having at least one light source; a linking arm having an elongate shape; the arm having a first end which is connected to the supply housing and a second end which is connected to the lighting head in order mechanically to link the supply housing and the lighting head, the lighting head being movable relative to the supply housing between a first position, in which the lighting head is close to and/or integral with the supply housing, and at least one second position, in which the lighting head is remote from and/or not integral with the supply housing.
2. State of the Prior Art
It is known from patent EP-B1-0 528 501 to use a flashlight comprising a power supply housing, an elongate extension, of which one end is connected to the housing and the other carries a lighting head, and energy transfer means carried by the extension and designed to connect the power supply housing to the lighting head. The extension can easily be flexed by hand and is able to retain a given shape indefinitely, so that the power supply housing and the lighting head can each be positioned and oriented independently of one another. The housing comprises a peripheral groove on which the extension is wound in order to obtain compact storage. A holding member integral with the housing allows the lighting head to be held in the immediate vicinity of and integral with the supply housing.
However, that flashlight is not suitable for use in confined spaces such as, for example, a motor vehicle engine or a substructure of such a motor vehicle. A flashlight according to the prior art does not have either compactness or stability for effective use in the most difficult places to access.